Method of loading automobile bodies in freight cars



March 6, 1928.

R. E. BAUS METHOD OF LOADING AUTOMOBILE BODIES IN FREIGHT CARS OriginalFiled May 2, 1955 a Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR flaw/mm t. 5621/:

A'TTORNEY March 6, 1928. 1,661,459

R. E. BAus METHOD OF LOADING AUTOMOBILE BODIES IN FREIGHT CARS OriginalFiled May 2 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 470mm 515905 ATTORNEY March6, 1928. 7 1,661,459

R. E. BAus METHOD OF LOADING AUTOMOBILE BODIES IN FREIGHT CARSOriginalFiled May 2. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR flaw/9K0 f. 5/7115ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 6, 1928.

RICHARD 1,661,459 PATENT OFFICE,

E. BAUS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE STUDEBAKER COR- PORATION,OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF LOADING AUTOMOBILE BODIES IN FREIGHT CARS.

ori inal application filed May 2, 1925,

Serial No. 27,518. Divided and this application filed August 10,

1926.. Serial No. 131,673.

This invention relates to the shipping of automobile bodies in freightcars, and is a division of my copending application, Serial Number27,518, filed May 2, 1925, and has for its object the providing of asimple, economical and novel means whereby a relative- ,ly large numberof such bodies may be shipped in a single car and may be placed thereinand removed therefrom with relative ease and speed.

Another object is to provide a means for double decking automobilebodies in freight cars for shipment in which the upper bodies aresupported from the sides of the car and l the lower bodies are supportedon the floor of the car in a new and novel manner.

Another object is to provide cross members secured to the sills of thebodies and slotted plates on the floor of the freight car whereby boltsmay be removably positioned in said slotted plates to engage and securesaid cross members thereto.

A further object is to provide cross members secured to the sills of anautomobile body, which cross members are bow-shaped so as to allow aloading truck to pass therebeneath, and slotted plates secured to thefreight car floor at an angle to the length of the car, whereby a bodymay be moved so on a truck through the door of the freight car to aposition over said slotted plates, the truck dropped and removed, andbolts passed through said slotted plates and the ends of said crossmembers to secure said body as a unit to said floor.

The above being among the objects of the present invention, the sameconsists of certain features of construction and combinations of partsto be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawingsand then claimed, having the above and other objects in view.

In the accompanying drawings which il lustrate a suitable embodiment ofthe present invention, and in which like numerals refer to like partsthroughout the several different views,

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken longitudinally of a freight carjust inside the near side of thesame, showing in a more or lessdiagrammatic fashion automobile bodies therein supported and secured inaccordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the freight car taken on theline 22 of Figure 1, a body being shown in a position adjacent thefreight car door which was not shown in Figure 1 because it would tendto confuse that drawing.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one end of one of the supporting crossmembers for the lower tier of bodies.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 55of Figure 6 and transversely through the large end of the slot in theslotted plate used to secure the cross members of the lower tier ofbodies to the floor.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the slot-ted platesused to secure the cross members of the lower tier of bodies to thefloor of the freight car, shown a in position on the floor of thefreight car.

In the drawings is illustrated a freight or box car having a floor 10,sides 11 and doors 12, in which the present invention ployed to shipautomobile bodies. As best shown in Figure 3, brackets comprising ablock 13 and an angle member 14 are secured to the sides 11 b' means ofbolts 15 which extend through t e block 13 and side 11, the upper bolts15 also passing through the depending leg of the angle member 14 therebyto secure it in position with the block 13. The horizontal leg of theangle member 14 provides a horizontal supporting and attachi' flange aswill presently be described. Although the block 13 may be extended downinto contact with the floor 10, in most cases I have found thisunnecessary, particularly where the body is not extremely heavy and thebrackets are placed in line with the vertically extending studs 16.These brackets are placed in line with each other on the oppositesidesof the inside of the car and with their upper surfaces at a height abovethe floor greater than the height of the bodies to be shippedtherebelow. To the under side of the sill or sill cross members 17(Figure 3) of each body 18 which is to be supported on these bracketsare secured two or more cross members 19, three of whiohare employed foreach body in the accompanying drawings. These cross members are ofchannel iron with the open side of the channel facing downwardly, andeach is of sulfiis em- I cient length to substantially span the width ofthe inside of the freight car and rest against the upper horizontal faceof the angle member 14, and they are spaced along the under side of thebody in accordance with the spacing of the brackets on the side of thecar so that each cross member will engage its respective brackets.

In practice these cross members 19 are bolted to the under side of thebody 18 as shown, being so spaced that the bolts pass through theopenings provided for subsequently bolting the body 18 to its chassis.The body 18 and cross members 19 are placed as a unit on a suitableelevating platform, the platform is rolled into the freight car, theplatfrom is raised until the body and cross members are above the upperface of the angle member 14, the platform is manipulated to bring thecross members 19 directly above the angle members, 14, the platform islowered until the ends of the cross members 19 rest on the angle members14, and then bolts 20 are passed throu h the overlapping portion of thecross mem ers 19 and angle members 14, after which the platform isremoved. To unload, these operations are reversed as will be plainly aparent. As will also be apparent, such loa ing of a freight car is begunat a point farthest from the door after which other bodies are loaded ina similar manner nearer the door.

Inasmuch as there is no side wall in the door openings 21 to supportthebrackets, I provide a strap member 22 secured to the inside face of theside 11 on each side of the door openings 21 at a height correspondingto the height of the blocks 13. Removably supported by each pair ofstrap members 22 on t e same side of the car is a channel member 23which extends between and is received in the strap members 22, and whenin operation is held from accidental disengagement therewith by means ofa bolt or pin which passes through one end of the channel member 23 andits corresponding strap member 22. Suitable angle members 25,corresponding to the angle members 14, are secured to the channel member23 in proper spaced relation, the angle members 25 serving the samepurpose as the angle members 14 previously described. After the bodies18 have been loaded up to the point of the door opening 21, the channelmembers 23 are inserted in the strap members 22, the pin is dropped inplace, and a body 18 is'loaded as previously described;

The lower tier or deck of bodies, which for the sake of clearness isindicated as26, is loaded in somewhat the same manner but the method ofsupporting them is different than that for the upper deck. In the lowerdeck two cross mem ers 27 of a different shape and shorter than thecross members 19 are employed for each body 26 and are secured directlyto the floor 10. These cross members 27 are of channel section and theends are bent downwardly to form bow-shaped ends to elevate the body 26from the floor 10, and to the down-turned ends are secured anangle-shaped foot 28 having a horizontal face provided with a slot 29(Figure 4). Set into the floor 10 in a position to match the respectivefeet 28 of the cross members 27 are metal plates 30, each of which isprovided with a centrally located keyholeshaped slot 31 (Figures 2, 5and 6) beneath which a recess 32 is provided in the floor 10. Theenlarged part of the slot 31 is of a size sufficient to allow the headof a bolt 33 to pass therethrough into the recess 32, after which thebolt 33 may be slid up into the narrow portion of the slot to therebyprevent it from being withdrawn from the slot. Guides such as 34 aresecured to the under side of each plate 30 adjacent the narrow portionof the slot 31 to engage the head of the bolt 33 and hold the sameagainst turning. In practice, the cross members 27 are bolted to thesill or sill cross member 35 of a body 26 as previously described inconnection with the bodies in 'the upper tier or deck. A low-lift truckis positioned beneath the cross members 27, and the body 26 and crossmembers are raised as a unit, rolled into the freight car, dropped inposition over the plates 30, bolts 33 inserted into the slots 31 andmoved into the narrow portion thereof, being at the same time slippedinto the slots 29 in the feet 28, and nuts 36 are threaded home on thebolts 33, thereby securing the feet 28 to the floor 10, after which thetruck is removed. a

In order to facilitate the loading and unloading of the bodies 26 asmuch as possible, I prefer to place those bodies immediately adjacentthe doors 12 at an angle to the length of the freight car as shown inFigure 2, thereby requiring the least time possible in manipulating theloading truck to place the bodies in securing position or to remove themtherefrom.

While the above described method and apparatus will be found to be ofthe greatest value where the same cars are used continuously for theshipping of such bodies, in which case the brackets on the walls 11 andthe plates 30 may be left in position at all times, nevertheless itwill'be found that even where the freight cars are not so usedcontinuously, and consequently where the brackets must be removed aftereach shipment,

particularly if the feet 28 are replaced by ones of a different typethat may be nailed or spiked to the floor 10, a substantial saving intime and labor results as well as a substantial reduction in the amountof material necessary to secure the bodies in place. I

Formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the inventiondescribed without departing from the spirit and substance of. the broadinvention, the scope of which .is commensurate with the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. The. method of loading an automobile body in afreight car for shipmenti comprising first securing to the un er si e ofsaid body a plurality of cross members downwardly extending endportions, placin said'body and said cross members in sai car as a unit,and thereafter removably securing the ends of said cross members to thefloor of said car. 2. The, method of loading an automobile body in afreight car for shipment, com riscuring to ing securing :to the underside of said ody a pluralityof cross members, said cross members being-Ushaped and secured to said body in inverted position, the height of said-U being suflicient to allow a lifting truck to pass therebeneath,placing said body and said cross members in said car as a unit, and

thereafter securing said cross members to the floor of said car.

3. The method of loading automobile bodies in freight the-un der side ofeach of saidbodies a plurality of inverted U shaped supporting members.of a height'suflicient to receive a lifting truck therebelow, lacingsaid bodies and said supporting mem ers in said freight car as a unit,and securin said supporting members to the floor 0 said freight car,said bodies adjacent'the' door of said freight car being laced at anangle to the length of said freight car whereby to facilitate theintroduction and removal body in a freight car thereof.

4. The method of loading an automobile for shipment, comprising securingsupporting members to said body and moving said body with saidsupporting members as a unit into said car and securing the ends of saidmembers to the 1 supporting members to the floor of said car,

said supporting members being of a height sufficient to allow a liftingtruck to be inserted under said. body when supported thereby.

having.

cars for shipment, comprising se- ,ing plates body, placing sa1 6. Themethod of loading an automobile body in a freight car for shipment, comrising securing to the under side of said ody a plurality of crossmembers having depend; ing 1e and slotsin the feet of said legls, proviing slotted bolt-receiving plates in t e floor of said car, placing saidbody and said cross members in said car as a unit with said feet inmatching relation with saidplates and thereafter bolting said feet tosaid plates.

7 .Means for securing an automobile body to a floor, comprising a crossmember secured to said bod and having downwardly extending ends, s ottedplates secured to said floor, and means for securing the endsof saidcross member to said plates.

8. Means for securing an automobile body to a floor, comprising a Ushaped cross member having its ends projecting downwardly secured tosaid body, lates having slots therein secured to said oor, meansextending through said slots and nonrotatable therein'for securing theends of said cross member to said plates.

9. Means for securing an automobile body to a floor, comprising a Ushaped cross member having its ends projecting downwardly secured to.said body, horizontally extendof said cross member, plates secured tosaid floor having slots matching relation with the slots in firstnamedplates, and means extending through the slots in, said first andsecond-named plates for securing said cross member to said second-namedlates.

10. The met 0d of loading an automobile body in a freight car forshipment, comprising detachably securing to said body a plurality ofcross members, the ends of said cross membersbein shaped to contact withthe 'fioor of the freiget car, placing said body and said cross mem rsin said car as a unit, and thereafter securing said cross members to'thefloor of said car. 1

11. The method of loading an automobile body in a freight car forshipment, comprising securing sup orting members to said body and saidmembers as a unit in said car, and thereafter securing flsaid members tosaid car, the ends of said members being slotted and. each being securedto a slotted supporting member carried by said can.

Signed by me at Detroit, Michigan, U. S. A., this 17th day of August,1926.

RICHARD E; BAUS.

having slotstherein at the ends therein positioned in Ill

